Spill Management

Taking a Proactive Approach

The accidental release of fuel to the environment has a potential to impact adversely surface and groundwater features and associated environmental resources. This is particularly important since Logan Airport is surrounded on three sides by Boston Harbor. Massport takes a proactive approach to spill control and management in an effort to avoid spills and minimize their impact in the event there is a spill.

One important element of this comprehensive program involves close monitoring by Massport of fuel spillage by tenants and tracking the status of spill response actions and compliance with the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP). The table below compares the historical jet fuel use data to spill volumes since 1999.

The Massport Fire-Rescue Department keeps logs of all spills at Logan Airport. State environmental regulations require the responsible party to report all 10-gallon or larger petroleum spills to the MA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). In 2003, of the 133 spills reported to the Logan Airport Fire-Rescue Department, 19 (14 percent) were greater than ten gallons in quantity. The volume of jet fuel spilled in 2003 increased over 2002 levels, although one spill accounted for 94 percent of the total volume of DEP/MCP reportable spills. As a result of this spill, both Massport and the company responsible for the spill have amended their spill prevention, control, and countermeasure plans.